6x01 Home (Part One)
by MythicalGeek
Summary: Atlantis has relocated to the moon where an international team of scientists led by Doctor McKay seek to unlock the remaining secrets of the city. But when a fail-safe self-destruct sequence is activated along with a warning to return the city to Pegasus, the Atlantis Expedition is re-formed to accomplish the task. But something goes terribly wrong...
1. Chapter 1: Work

******Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I just love the show.**

******A/N: **All mistakes are my own and I apologise in advance for them. Feedback welcomed.

Thanks.

**Episode One: Home (Part 1)**

He had not enjoyed the serenity of sleep for almost two days and yet his mind had shown no evidence of the fatigue so evident in his physical appearance. For Doctor Rodney McKay, this project had now become a compulsion that he had resolved to defeat by any means necessary. He had been charged with solving impossible tasks before now and had always risen to the challenge. And he would be damned if his first assignment with his new research team would end in failure. Particularly one that could revolutionise the way humans view the universe and establish himself as one of the greatest minds in history. Not that he needed any external validation of that fact.

"What if we try using the Holographic interface?" chimed Zelenka, drawing Rodney out of his train of thought.

"What?"

"The Holographic interface, the Ancients designed it as the main point of access for their database"

"Oh yes, great idea. Why don't you head down there with a notepad, make a few sketches and write down everything the hologram tells you. Should only take a couple of thousand years that way." replied Rodney sarcastically.

"It will still be more productive than what we are doing now" replied Zelenka frustratedly "..look we may find that the Hologram can show us a faster way to download and decrypt the database. It's worth a shot."

Rodney considered the request for a moment. They had made astoundingly little progress in decrypting the Atlantis database since the project started almost two months ago, despite having access to the most brilliant minds on the planet. And he had to admit, he was growing as frustrated as Zelenka with the lack of headway made. And maybe Zelenka had a point, what better way to unlock the Atlantis database than by using Atlantis itself.

"Fine. We'll head down there this afternoon. That should give me enough time to sharpen all my pencils" replied Rodney, trying to conceal the fact that he had begrudgingly acquiesced to Zelenka's idea.

"You should get some sleep first Rodney...you look dreadful" Zelenka said with the merest hint of smile.

"So says Bruce Wayne himself" retorted Rodney. The truth was that both men looked completely dishevelled, a side effect of their efforts on the project. But the work was of such importance, that is was worth every strange look they received from the other researchers.

"Okay" said Zelenka, taking charge of the situation. "so we both go get some sleep and meet at the Holo room in two hours?"

"Agreed." And with that Rodney got up from the chair that had effectively been his home for two days straight, stumbling slightly as he got to his feet. He and Zelenka stepped out of the control room and into gate room itself. The Stargate had effectively been shut down ever since Atlantis returned to Earth, giving the room a strangely empty feeling. Or maybe that was the lack of familiar faces, busily going about their daily routines. Rodney sighed inwardly, missing the halcyon days in Pegasus and the companionship forged there. This project was just not the same, no matter how hard he tried to pretend it was.

As Rodney took the first few steps towards the corridor and eventually his quarters, a small tap on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. Turning around he saw the youthful face of Doctor Jansen, one of the research assistants and the youngest member of the team. Rodney had not spent much time with him, mainly as he had so little free time but also because Jansen was unusually happy. All of the time. And that irritated Rodney.

"What is it Jansen?" enquired McKay in as polite a tone as he could muster in his current state.

"Sorry to disturb you Doctor McKay" he said apologetically before continuing "but Mr Woolsey and the IOA delegation have arrived and are requesting your presence in the conference room."

Rodney froze. The IOA status meeting. How could he have forgotten about that? _Well working forty-eight hours shifts on an impossible task might have something to do with it_, he thought to himself. But still, how could he tell the IOA yet again that they had failed to make any headway. That in two months, they had managed to download 15% of the Atlantis database and yet had been unable to decrypt hardly any of the information. A sense of apprehension washed over him. A cursory nod and smile dismissed Jansen but he doubted whether his charm would work so well on the IOA delegates.

"Zelenka!" he called out. The Czech scientist, who was only a few feet away from him, spun around immediately at the call of his name.

"Yes Rodney?"

"You get started on the Holographic interface this afternoon. Something else has come up"

"The IOA?" asked Zelenka knowingly

"How did you know that?"

"Your face. It had the same expression the last time they were here. Don't worry Doctor McKay, I'll get started this afternoon". With that, he turned again and headed off down the corridor. Oh how Rodney envied him, so little responsibility resting on his shoulders. McKay had to admit, he had developed a new found admiration for the likes of Sheppard and Carter over the past eight weeks in the way they dealt with the pressures of leadership. Shaking his head at that admission, he turned and headed straight for the conference room, eager to get this over and done with.

- - SGA - -

The delegates were already seated and had been served refreshments by the time Rodney had reached the conference room. He entered the room and with his usual degree of awkwardness, proceeded to exchange pleasantries with the gathered dignitaries. A small smile from Mr Woolsey helped settle Rodney's frazzled mind and allowed him to focus as the proceedings began.

Less than two hours into the meeting and the frustration was building inside Rodney, simmering just beneath and almost breaking through to the surface. With unerring ease, the IOA committee had managed to pick apart almost two months of work on the Atlantis database and were now questioning the competency of him and his team. _How could anyone be a diplomat for a living?_ he thought to himself as the IOA members paused for a brief recess that allowed them to chat among themselves, no doubt preparing a fresh assault on the lack of progress he had made. As the chatter died down, it was Woolsey who spoke first, his calm demeanour masking his own frustrations with how this supposedly routine meeting was going.

"Doctor McKay, please be assured that no-one here is questioning your ability nor your expertise on Atlantis or the Ancients" he spoke confidently and with a hint of sympathy.

"Well you could have fooled me" Rodney retorted childishly, still seething from the criticisms of his work and his team. He had expected to be held accountable for the project, but the manner of this dressing down was difficult to contend with.

"The committee is simply concerned that the current rate of progress will be insufficient to convince their governments to continue funding this project." explained Woolsey

"Well, they can tell their governments that the best minds on the planet are assigned to this project and if we are unable to accelerate the data decryption process, then nobody can"

"We understand that..." Woolsey started before Rodney cut him off.

"No you don't Mr Woolsey. None of you do. For the past two months we've been working night and day, using all manner of algorithms and computer programmes to try to decrypt the database. Personally, I haven't slept for two days because I've been trying to think of a solution to a problem most of you probably can't even comprehend. So forgive me, but you don't understand anythi..."

As if by some curious quirk of cosmic irony, Rodney himself was cut off by a shrill and piercing alarm that seemed to echo through every room and corridor of this vast city ship. It was a sound that he had never heard before, which automatically made him feel a little uneasy. The good news was that this allowed the anger he was feeling to subside. The bad news was that it had been replaced by a sense of dread, and that was way worse. Suddenly, his earpiece crackled into life, causing him to jump slightly.

"Doctor McKay, could you please join me in the Holographic room?" said Zelenka, a slight quiver in his voice.

"What for?" replied McKay curiously, though grateful for the reprieve from all this...politicking.

"Something is wrong." replied Zelenka, the concern now even more evident in his voice. "Something is very wrong..."


	2. Chapter 2: Game Time

**A/N:** Thanks for reading. And thank you also for the feedback.

A quick note about this chapter. Its written to emphasise how the team has been broken up in the months since Atlantis' return to earth.

I promise they will all work their way back to each other.

**Chapter Two: Game Time**

"Sheppard!" shouted Ronon, hoping to get his team leader's attention as the bullets flew past his head.

John spun round, noticing the big man ducking and weaving under the gunfire from their dogged pursuers. Ordering Jenkins to dial the gate, Sheppard and Major Andrews dropped into cover to provide suppressing fire as Ronon sped towards them. As the final chevron clicked into place, the familiar and comforting sound of the gate opening told John they had almost completed their latest high-risk assignment.

"Jenkins, into the gate now. And make sure you take what we came here for" proclaimed Sheppard, his head motioning towards the box laying next to him as he fired another burst, though his eyes did not leave the targets moving through the tree line.

Jenkins didn't need a second invitation, picking up the box before racing into the portal. Sheppard was forced to reload as the blur that was Ronon tore past him and, without breaking stride, launched himself head first through the Stargate.

"Ronon next then" said Sheppard sarcastically, drawing a slight chuckle from Major Andrews as he launched another burst of rounds towards their attackers.

"Your turn Andrews" he nodded towards the young officer next to him, who acknowledged the order and headed backwards towards the gate whilst still providing fire. The cessation of gunfire from behind him confirmed that he too was safely back at SGC, leaving Sheppard as the last man standing. The Lucian Alliance men were closing in, the continuous fire of their weapons growing ever louder in John's ears. The event horizon behind him was beginning to dissipate so without a second thought, he put everything he had left into getting himself into the gate before he was trapped here.

The landing back at SGC was not pleasant but after checking for bullet holes and finding none, John breathed a sigh of relief, inwardly congratulating himself on another job well done. Getting to his feet, he saw the rest of his team were none the worse for wear either, though he did notice that Ronon was panting like an asthmatic rhino. The look he flashed in Sheppard's general direction forced the smart-mouthed remark the Colonel was contemplating to remain unspoken.

As the team gathered their bearings, the doors to the gate room opened and General Landry walked in, his face as stoic and unemotional as ever.

"Report, Colonel Sheppard" he said passively, the routine of teams returning through the Stargate in such a manner now so commonplace it was no longer even worthy of mention.

"Mission complete sir. Package was secured despite heavy enemy presence" replied Sheppard modestly.

"Very good Colonel. And the package is where exactly..." said Landry, looking around in an exaggerated manner

A forced cough from Sheppard prompted Jenkins to step forward and hand the box over to the waiting technicians, offering an apologetic look to Sheppard as he fell back into formation, like a scolded child who had been forced to return a stolen toy to the kid down the street.

"Well it looks like another successful mission for SG-17. Mission debrief tomorrow, 1300 hours. For the moment, dismissed" said Landry and with that he turned and left the gate room, leaving Sheppard and his team to their own devices.

"That was fun" said Ronon, a hint of a smile etched on his face.

"I think you and I have very different ideas of fun sir" replied Jenkins, surprising everyone and getting a laugh from Sheppard as Ronon pulled him into a playful headlock. The two had formed an unlikely friendship ever since Jenkins intervened in a bar brawl Ronon started a few weeks back, though it's doubtful he remembered much about the incident, considering he was knocked out cold soon after getting involved.

"Speaking of fun, drinks on me tonight boys. That is, if you don't have any plans" announced Andrews, drawing approving nods from both Ronon and Jenkins. "Beckett will be coming too, once he's finished patching up Major Lorne's team..what say you Colonel?"

"Sorry Major, already have plans. You guys have fun though." he paused and then headed towards the gate room exit before turning around to add "And try to keep the fighting to a minimum. This time". He exited to the sniggering of his team, genuinely pleased at the bond developing between them.

The truth is that he did have plans, made a couple of weeks ago. Since he had returned to Earth, he and Teyla had spent hardly any time together. She was busy settling in with her new family on a strange world and he had been swamped with SGC assignments. _Its understandable__,_ he thought to himself, _but not acceptable_.So he was taking Teyla to her first football game, albeit only a local college match.

But the game was unimportant as his ultimate aim was to make sure she was happy enough on Earth and whether he could do anything else to help her settle. After all, she could be stuck here indefinitely. Fortunately, Kanaan would be looking after Torren so it would just be the two of them, making it far less awkward. Or maybe more so.

- - SGA - -

He approached the door nervously, not knowing exactly the reception he would receive. After a slight pause, he pressed the buzzer to her apartment, _their_ apartment and was pleased when the door unlocked and allowed him inside the building. Taking the stairs as opposed to the rather ominous looking elevator, he arrived on the fourth floor, his anxiety causing him to pause several times on the way up.

Apartment 4C, he reminded himself silently before stopping outside the right room. He went to knock on the door but before he had chance to, it swung open to reveal Teyla like he had seen her only once before, back when they were trapped in a false reality. She had adapted to Earth fashion very well it seemed, her jeans hugging tightly to her legs whilst her blouse accentuated her incredible physique. John had to inwardly chastise himself for thinking those thoughts, knowing that it was simply not an option he could pursue anymore.

"Colonel Sheppard" she said excitedly before correcting herself "...John. It is good to see you." She flashed him a smile that could melt steel and he was immediately under her spell again.

"Likewise...you look incredible" he proclaimed, returning her enchanting smile as best he could "Shall we get going?" he continued, to which she offered a polite nod.

The journey to the local football stadium was filled with chat and gossip, mainly about what was happening with their former friends and colleagues. John thought he detected a hint of sadness in Teyla's voice as she spoke of Ronon and the others, though her outward demeanour remained warm and friendly. They reached their destination and after purchasing the obligatory popcorn and soda, took their seats among the several hundred spectators for the crunch college clash.

Normally, live football would be exciting for John but he just couldn't pay much attention to the game, so nervous was he about being alone with Teyla after weeks apart. The game got underway but Sheppard's mind was somewhere else, possible still back in the Pegasus galaxy, as he had not been in the right frame of mind ever since returning "home".

"So the Quarter...back sends his warriors into enemy territory to receive the...ball and claim that territory?" enquired Teyla innocently, drawing John out of his trance-like stupor.

"Pretty much. Except we generally call them receivers, not warriors" replied John, reminding himself that she wasn't exactly familiar with the sport, despite previous efforts to teach her about the game.

"This is a most interesting activity, John." she said genuinely.

"Told ya!" he replied, a satisfied grin etched on his face. She senses the playfulness of the gesture and responded with a slight squeeze of John's hand.

Though he did not want to spoil this amazing moment, John knew he eventually had to ask whether Teyla was happy here. It was eating away inside him, knowing that she had travelled to another galaxy solely to help save his world, only to discover she may not find happiness here. As the buzzer blew for half-time, John sensed the time was right and after working up the nerve, he asked timidly. "So how are things with you?"

She paused for a moment as she considered her response. He could see her mind working, trying to figure out what to say. Can she be honest with him? Can she really tell him that she feels uncomfortable on his homeworld? In the end, she settled for a diplomatic response, hoping he would accept it without further question.

"I am quite content here, John. Your world has many amazing sights to see."

"But?" he replied and she knew she had been caught out. He was far better at reading people than he gave himself credit for. Or maybe just at reading her.

"But...I feel like an outsider here, even more so than when I first arrived on Atlantis. And I worry for my people, alone in another galaxy with no-one to look out for them. And.." she paused briefly, wondering if this was too personal but decided to press ahead, feeling the need to confide in someone. "Kanaan and I are experiencing...problems in our relationship." She had taken the first step, now she wondered how he would respond.

John looked upon Teyla and saw something he never wished to see for her; pain and suffering. Not physical nor torturous but enough to make her confide in him, which in of itself suggested the seriousness of the situation. And he knew he had to say something. He just didn't know exactly what.

"Look Teyla...if I could take you back home tomorrow, to be with your people, I would do it in a heartbeat. If there was one person in this entire universe I'd want to be happy, it would be you..." he admitted honestly but unsure if he had crossed a line. The look Teyla flashed him, a combination of respect and encouragement, urged him to continue "And relationship problems are entirely normal. Believe me, I know. But if you love him, then it will work itself out.."

Teyla knew how difficult this must have been for John to say, given his awkwardness in talking about "feelings", so to show her appreciation, she leaned her forehead into his, an Athosian tradition that John had grown to like immensely and that she too enjoyed, particularly with him. The contact threatened to break down the walls that had for so long stood between them. With their heads still touching gently against each other, Teyla considered her next words carefully, unsure of herself and her current state of mind. Eventually, she settled for a simple "Thank you John."

As if fate itself had intervened to prevent them from going any further, John's pocket began to vibrate and the familiar chimes of his cell phone broke the magic of the moment. They reluctantly broke the contact and relaxed back into their respective seats, enjoying the comfort they drew from each others presence.

John pressed the key to answer the call, not speaking for several minutes but looking rather concerned at the message he was receiving. With a courteous "Yes Sir", he ended the call before looking grimly at Teyla.

"Is there a problem John?" Teyla asked worriedly

"Yes...and no. We need to get back to Stargate Command..."


	3. Chapter 3: Reunited

**A/N: ** Appreciate the kind words and feedback.

Would also like to thank Everlovin and The Lady Blue for giving me confidence and assistance with planning the series :)

**Chapter Three: Reunited**

"Rodney?" enquired Sheppard as he stood in the doorway of the conference room, a look of surprise on his face "What..."

"...are you doing here?" Teyla said, finishing his sentence for him whilst wearing the same confused expression on her face. The last they had heard, Rodney had been assigned to lead a project back on Atlantis and given his propensity for not leaving work unfinished, something major had to be wrong for him to even be here. Before they could press him any further on the matter, General O'Neill entered the room, accompanied by General Landry and Daniel Jackson, all of them wearing the same, sombre look.

"Colonel Sheppard, Miss Emmagan. Please, take a seat" offered General O'Neill courteously. They both took the nearest available seats, which just happened to be opposite an exhausted-looking Rodney and Daniel Jackson, who nudged his Canadian colleague to check he was actually still awake. Looking up as if woken from a peaceful slumber, Rodney took a few seconds to process who was sitting in front of him.

"Sheppard? Teyla?" he asked, a mixture of relief and hope clear in his otherwise slightly hoarse voice.

"Yeah, we're here McKay" said Sheppard before turning to General O'Neill "What exactly is going on sir? You mentioned a problem with Atlantis..."

"I was just getting to that...Doctor McKay?" O'Neill said, inviting the scientist to take over.

"Right" said Rodney as he fumbled through the file that lay open before him "Roughly four hours ago, as I was being detained by the IOA delegates in the conference room on Atlantis, Doctor Zelenka was attempting to speed up the decryption of the Atlantis database by using the holographic interface." He paused briefly to allow the others to absorb what exactly he had been doing for the past two months that made him virtually impossible to contact.

"...Anyway, as he powered up the Holographic systems hoping to find something, it seems that he inadvertently activated a hidden fail-safe programme within the Atlantis database. We're not quite sure what the programme was specifically but we hypothesise that it was some kind of redundant executable file within a sub folder tha..."

"Rodney!" Sheppard and General O'Neill said, almost in unison. Teyla smiled at the familiarity of this situation, Rodney focusing on the detail when all Sheppard required was the general gist of the problem.

"Well...Atlantis somehow figured out it was no longer in the Pegasus galaxy and we theorise that's why the fail-safe programme activated when Zelenka powered up the holographic interface. It was probably designed for if the city ever fell into the wrong hands. It's all here in Zelenka's repor.."

"Rodney! What is it?" asked Sheppard with a degree of finality.

"Well, to put it as basically as I can. If Atlantis is not returned to the Pegasus galaxy, then as far as we can tell, the fail-safe programme will initiate a self-destruct sequence that will theoretically be powerful enough to take out most of the solar system."

A stunned silence reverberated around the room as everyone processed what had just been said, even those who had already been briefed on the dire situation they now faced. Sheppard looked at Teyla and saw the exact look of concern his face must have been showing.

"How much time do we have?" asked Daniel Jackson inquisitively.

"Well, if the countdown clock that was activated is accurate, we have about a week before Atlantis goes kaboom" replied Rodney with an element of panic in his voice. He wouldn't tell anyone else, but he felt a small tinge of responsibility for the whole situation, having left Zelenka to power the interface alone whilst he dealt with the politics of command.

The dire situation provided all the encouragement Sheppard needed however. He had seen the selflessness displayed by Teyla and Ronon when his world was in danger. Now he had the perfect opportunity to repay some of the debt he and the rest of humanity owed these people, his people.

Turning to face the most senior officer in the room, Sheppard knew he had to ask the question, regardless of what the answer might be.

"General O'Neill sir. Given the circumstances, am I to understand that Atlantis will be returning to Pegasus?" he asked.

" That's affirmative, Colonel. The President authorised the return of Atlantis immediately. The IOA have agreed under the proviso that Mr Woolsey is reinstated as operational leader of the mission. We're still looking at our options regarding a military lead for this operation..."

"I'd like to volunteer for that assignment sir" replied Sheppard enthusiastically.

"I thought you might say that" replied General O'Neill with a smile on his face. "If General Landry has no objections..."

"None sir. I will regret losing Colonel Sheppard and his team but I can't think of anyone more qualified to take on this role." said General Landry with a hint of affection in his voice.

"Well then Sheppard.." O'Neill continued but was quickly interrupted

"If it is not too much trouble, I would also like to volunteer, General O'Neill" said Teyla, throwing a warm smile in the direction of John.

"I thought that you might say that too" said O'Neill. "Well, if the new military commander of Atlantis has no objections..." he said jokingly, drawing a shake of the head from Sheppard, who took a moment to process the fact that General O'Neill had seemingly accepted his request to rejoin the Atlantis mission.

"Good. Then if there's nothing else, I have to get back to Washington. Those pens won't push themselves" said General O'Neill, the sarcasm masking a genuine dislike of the bureaucratic game he now found himself playing. The whole room shook their heads.

"Well gentleman, ma'am. I think you have some preparations to make. The president expects Atlantis to be ready to get underway within twenty four hours." With that, General O'Neill stood and, after exchanging the customary salutes to his gathered officers, exited the conference room with General Landry still in tow.

"This was nice...but I have to get back to Atlantis and check on things there, hopefully Zelenka hasn't caused some other catastrophe in the time I've been away. It was...it _is_ good to see you both" said Rodney, offering a genuine smile, or at least the closest approximation he could manage. And with that he also exited the room, followed closely by Daniel Jackson, who seemed full of questions, much to Rodney's annoyance.

"Soooo...it seems like you'll be going home after all" said Sheppard, offering a reassuring smile to Teyla.

"It would appear so, though I wish it were under better circumstances" she responded sadly.

"Well, there's a saying on this world. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth"

Teyla looked at him curiously, silently encouraging him to clarify what this meant. Again he had forgotten that, despite appearances, Teyla was as much a stranger to his world as he was to hers.

"It means, don't question an opportunity that is presented to you, just take it for what it is"

"I understand. Your world has some most peculiar customs" Teyla said with a warm smile.

"Oh you haven't heard the half of it, remind me to tell you about fraternity pledges sometime."

The two continued to talk for a few moments before a knock at the door drew their attention. A young officer stood there, looking nervous, as if he was aware he was intruding on something private. Sheppard decided it best to cut through the unease of the moment.

"What can I do you for Lieutenant?" he enquired politely.

"Sorry to interrupt sir. But we've received a call from the local police department. It appears that Major Andrews and the rest of your team were involved in an altercation outside a local bar. They've been detained"

"Son of a..." Sheppard said, just a hint of frustration in his voice "Not again..."

"Are they okay?" asked Teyla with more than a little concern

"A few cuts and bruises. Not as bad as the others guys" replied the Lieutenant, now a little more at ease. Sheppard stood up and walked towards the exit, muttering as he did so:

"Well that's good, because I'm going to kill them myself..."


	4. Chapter 4: Release

**A/N: ** Apologies for the delay in uploading, real life got busy!

Thanks again for the feedback, it helps immensely.

MG

**Chapter: Release**

The drive back to Teyla's apartment was made in relative silence, a contemplative Sheppard still coming to terms with everything that had happened in the past few hours, whilst Teyla seemed to be gripped by a nervousness that was so unlike her. Sheppard knew something was wrong but his lack of social skills made asking about it incredibly difficult for him. Working up his courage, he finally decided to just come out with it.

"Teyla, is there something wrong?" he asks in a caring tone.

"No John, why do you ask?" she replied quizzically, clearly unaware of her nervous tells.

"Well its just you look...I don't know...apprehensive...kinda"

"I am fine, truly. But thank you for your concern John" she replied, hoping that would be enough to satisfy his curiosity.

The truth was that she was concerned about her homecoming, not to Pegasus but here, to Kanaan. Explaining that they could now return home to their people would present a whole host of potential problems Teyla was hoping to avoid. But as the car pulled up outside her apartment complex, it looked as though such hopes were futile.

"Goodnight John" said Teyla, a faint smile on her face.

"Listen Teyla, I know its none of my business, but if you ever want to...maybe...I mean if you need... to talk"

"I...will keep that in mind, thank you John. And good luck with Ronon and the others" she said, deflecting attention away from the tension of the moment.

She turned and entered the building, leaving John with even more to contemplate than before. Not only would he be leaving Earth again, he had to bail out his best friend after a bar brawl whilst trying to mask his feelings for the one person he cared most about in the entire universe. Smiling ruefully at his multiple predicaments, he sped off down the street and on to his next stop, the local police station.

- - SGA - -

Teyla climbed the stairs to her apartment, the apprehension she felt in the car intensifying the closer she got to the front door. Her hands were trembling as she put the key in the lock and turned it, opening the door to find the apartment pretty much as she had left it, save for a few more toys littered about the floor.

She called out to Kanaan who emerged from their bedroom, cradling a sleeping Torren in his arms. She smiled at her adorable son, the single most important thing in her life and a constant source of strength for her.

"How is he?" she asked warmly though with a slightly quiver in her voice.

"He is fine, he fell asleep a few minutes ago. Are you okay?" he asked, noticing how on edge she appeared to be.

"We must talk Kanaan, something has happened" she said nervously as she took a seat on the sofa, joined almost instantly by her partner.

"What is it?"

"I am unsure about how best to describe the situation." said Teyla before attempting to do so anyway."Atlantis is in danger and must be returned to our galaxy. It leaves in less than two days. We...can go home again" she said, the joy of those words finally sinking in. Kanaan however, looked pensive for a moment before replying.

"So we can rejoin our people?".

Teyla nodded before he continued. "And when we are back with our people, will you then consent to the Ritual of Joining with me?"

This was the moment Teyla had been dreading. Ever since they had reached Earth, Kanaan had talked about nothing else but returning to their people to complete the Ritual of Joining and making their family whole. But performing such a sacred ceremony was something Teyla neither wanted at this time nor felt ready to do. And so they had argued and fought almost daily, putting great strain on their relationship. The constant raising of the issue was beginning to grow weary for her.

"Kanaan, we are together, is that not enough for you?" she asked with a little more venom than she intended.

"You know it is. But what better way to express our love and togetherness than by performing the ritual?" he countered.

Teyla knew she had no answer to this. The ritual was indeed the most sacred vow of commitment an Athosian could make and that was what made her so uneasy. To give oneself fully to someone whom she had even the slightest doubt about was something that she could not do. And if she was being brutally honest with herself, there were far more complicated issues and feelings that she had simply buried long ago, only to have them resurface recently.

"Kanaan, I do not wish to argue about this again. You know my feelings on the matter, can we please leave it at that" she stated emphatically. Kanaan simply nodded.

"We must prepare for our journey home, we do not have much time" Teyla continued, her excitement at returning home dulled by all the other emotions she was currently feeling.

She loved Kanaan but she began to doubt whether she was truly in love with him. It wasn't just the arguing, it was something deeper that was causing these feelings of uncertainty. Pushing those thoughts out of her mind, she turned her attention to packing the few belongings she wanted to take with her back to Atlantis.

Kanaan disappeared briefly into their bedroom, returning moments later without Torren, obviously having put their sleeping son to bed. He then began to pack his own belongings as an awkward silence permeated the entire apartment. This wasn't good, Teyla thought to herself unhappily.

- - SGA - -

Sheppard made his way to the front desk of the police station whereupon he was directed to a nearby uniformed officer. He had to admit, he was more than a little worried about the potential ramifications of this latest arrest for Ronon, given this was his third arrest since arriving on Earth.

"Hey there, I'm Colonel Sheppard. I'm here about the guys from the bar fight earlier tonight?" he enquired politely.

The officer looked him up and down, as if assessing his character, before responding. He had the look of an ex-military man about him, Sheppard thought to himself.

"Officer Grayson, pleased to meet you Colonel. Ah yes, the bar brawl. Nasty business. The big guy was a real handful, took three of our guys to take him down. The others were thankfully more compliant"

"What exactly happened?"

"As far as we can tell, your guys were minding their own business when a group of bikers rolled up. A lot of alcohol was consumed, insults were hurled and then fists were thrown...the usual"

"Can I speak with them? Its kinda urgent" asked Sheppard.

"If they are still conscious, sure." replied Officer Grayson with a smirk.

He led Sheppard to the lock up where he found his men in various states of inebriation. Doctor Beckett appeared to be the most lucid whilst Jenkins didn't appear to even be conscious. Sheppard looked them up and down and with a small degree of satisfaction, began his task, nee duty, to make them suffer.

"Well look what we have here. You know I distinctly remember ordering you NOT to get into any fights. I guess I must have temporarily switched to speaking a language none of you understand."

Ronon looked up but said nothing, simply staring intensely at Officer Grayson, who stood behind Sheppard, seemingly oblivious to the deathly looks he was being given by the Satedan. On the other end of the scale, Doctor Beckett looked forlorn and seemingly sober, as if he had been dragged into the conflict against his will. Andrews and Jenkins remained unresponsive.

"So...Officer Grayson, how long do they have to stay locked up?" asked Sheppard with a wink. Grayson picked up on it immediately and played along.

"Well considering for some this is their third offence in six weeks, I'd say a couple of months down at county should do it."

"Really, only a couple of months? Well jeez, I think I might be _out-of-town_ by then. But I'm sure someone else will be along to check on them.." replied Sheppard as he took a step towards the door.

The emphasis Sheppard placed on "out-of-town" grabbed the attention of the whole group, who stared at him with a somewhat hopeful desperation. It was Ronon who spoke first.

"Sheppard, Wait! Does that mean...home?" he asked. Sheppard nodded passively.

"To Atlant...a?" queried Beckett, expertly covering his near-mistake.

"Yeah, the plane leaves in twelve hours. I was hoping to take you guys with me but the law is the law..."

"Oh come on Colonel, you can't do this to us" shouted Andrews, now awoken from his drunken slumber.

Sheppard smiled internally at how successful his ruse had been. He then glanced at Officer Grayson who was desperately trying to suppress a snigger. Though no words were exchanged, a slight nod of the head by Sheppard in the direction of the cell was enough to convince Grayson of what needed to happen next.

"Well since your Colonel Sheppard here has vouched for your good character and you didn't technically start the fight, I guess we could maybe figure out some kind of deal..."

"You hear that guys? Now what do you say to the nice officer?" said Sheppard mockingly.

"Thank you Officer Grayson" all four men said in unison as he moved to unlock the cell. With a nod and a smile to Sheppard, Grayson then excused himself and allowed Sheppard to talk freely.

"Look, I can't say much here but sufficed to say there's a problem with Atlantis and we need to move quickly on this. Departure is scheduled for tomorrow. Anyone who wants to stay here on Earth can do so, no one will think any less of you, but I need to know now."

The four men looked at each other individually, silently deliberating on a collective decision. Sheppard had little doubt they would all be keen to join such an important mission but he felt obligated to offer them an out.

"We're in" replied Ronon succinctly as the others nodded their agreement.

"Well in that case, move out!" Sheppard said authoritatively.


	5. Chapter 5: Arrival

**Chapter Five: Arrival**

And just like that, he was back. It had only been a few days since he had visited Atlantis as part of the IOA delegation and yet somehow it felt different for Richard Woolsey, knowing he was returning to head a new expedition to the Pegasus galaxy. Filled with both excitement and trepidation, he took a few steps towards the control room before he was halted by the sound of a familiar voice.

"Mr Woolsey!" called out Rodney, waving him over to where he and Zelenka had been deep in conversation moments earlier. Woolsey trudged towards the eccentric scientist, wondering what else had gone wrong for Rodney to call him over so urgently.

"Doctor McKay. Is there something wrong?" he asked inquisitively before offering a slight nod in the direction of Zelenka, who reciprocated the gesture.

"What? No No No...just wanted to say hello and let you know that I cleaned out my..._your_ office last night. So you can move back in immediately" said Rodney with what sounded like a hint of relief in his voice.

"Oh" said a surprised Woolsey, somewhat sated by the lack of any further potential catastrophes "Well, thank you Doctor McKay, I appreciate that. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a lot of work that needs to be done before we can get underway"

"Oh sure sure...and erm...welcome back" said Rodney, displaying an unusual comfort with social situations. He then turned back to Zelenka and began working on whatever issue they had discusd before Woolsey's arrival.

Mr Woolsey reached his now spartan office but had barely unpacked his briefcase when a message arrived from the control room. Colonel Sheppard and his team would be arriving ahead of schedule and would be bringing with them the package he had requested. Mr Woolsey smiled knowingly, grateful for the trust he had seemingly been granted by both the IOA and the SGC.

After an hour of reading status reports and completing requisition forms, Woolsey was called to the gate room to meet the next contingent of arrivals, both new and old. The familiar sight of the Asgard transport beam caused him to momentarily close his eyes, opening them again to find Colonel Sheppard and his team standing before him. A broad smile formed on Woolsey face at the pleasant familiarity of this reunion.

"Colonel Sheppard, Mr Dex. Welcome back" he said warmly

"Mr Woolsey, good to see you again" replied Sheppard whilst Ronon simply nodded curtly.

Woolsey respected that the big man didn't waste his words so nodded back in turn. He then noticed the two new faces behind his old colleagues, one of them clutching a rather elaborately decorated box.

"Is that the item I requested?" Woolsey enquired.

"Yes Sir. One fully charged ZPM, courtesy of SG-17 and the Lucian Alliance" proclaimed Major Andrews proudly as he handed the box over to the waiting technicians.

"Excellent" said Mr Woolsey before turning to the technicians "See that this is delivered to Doctor McKay and tell him I expected it installed within the hour" ordered Woolsey authoritatively. The technicians nodded before scurrying away down the main corridor.

"Well now that's all in order, what now?" asked Sheppard.

"Now Colonel, you and your men can relax and unpack. I've arranged a staff meeting at 1800 hours, I will see you and Mr Dex there" said Woolsey before turning to head off back to his office and the stack of paperwork waiting for him there.

Without needing further invitation, Sheppard nodded to dismiss his men, who gathered up their rucksacks and headed off in the direction of their new living quarters. Sheppard waited a moment longer, taking in the familiar feel of Atlantis once more. How he had missed her. He too then headed off down the corridor and onward to his old lodgings.

- - SGA - -

Teyla felt an unusual fearfulness aboard the Daedalus as it approached Atlantis's position on the moon. She could not place the feeling exactly, just an inherent unease about the whole situation. Or perhaps it was simply a case of her personal problems affecting her more than she realised.

Feeling the need to think more clearly, she had taken Torren with her on a stroll around the Daedalus, leaving a morose Kanaan in the mess hall, still refusing to speak with her.

Her apparently aimless wandering had taken her to the bridge where she was immediately confronted by the inspiring view of Atlantis, perched peacefully within one of the many craters that dotted the surface of earth's satellite. A warm feeling of nostalgia washed over her as she remembered all the good times she had experienced within those city walls.

Colonel Caldwell appeared to be studying a particularly interesting datapad when he glanced up to notice Teyla standing in the doorway. He rose from his seat and approached her gently, unwilling to break what appeared to be a trance-like state she was currently enjoying.

"Colonel Caldwell, it is a pleasure to see you again" Teyla said warmly, turning away from the amazing view of Atlantis.

"Miss Emmagan, always nice to see a friendly face" he replied sincerely. "We are just about within beaming range of Atlantis, if you're ready?"

"I am Colonel, thank you. I shall return to my quarters and be ready to depart within half an hour"

"Very good. I take it you are looking forward to going home?" he enquired

"Very much so, though I wish it were under better circumstances"

"Well my folks always used to say; don't look a gift horse in the mouth" he offered in a well-meaning manner.

Teyla couldn't suppress the smile those words brought, being the same thing Sheppard had said to her yesterday. Colonel Caldwell look at her rather oddly, unsure how exactly what he said could elicit such a humorous reaction.

"I am sorry Colonel, you just reminded me of something Joh...Colonel Sheppard said yesterday" she offered as explanation. "Now if you will excuse me, I must go and gather my belongings".

And so she turned and headed back to her quarters, the anticipation of returning to her home on Atlantis building within and forcing the problems of the past few weeks out of thought.

- - SGA - -

Several hours had passed since Teyla and her family had returned to Atlantis, settling back into the quarters she had called home for the previous five years. Kanaan had still barely talked to her, silently putting their treasured belongings back into their familiar places. As the tension mounted, Teyla felt it necessary to again seek solitude by walking the corridors of this vast city.

She had only reached the end of the walkway near her quarters when she literally bumped into Ronon, who appeared to be as equally tense as her. His eyes met hers and suddenly they both relaxed, comfortable in each others company.

"Its good to see you" offered Ronon sincerely

"And you, Ronon. It feels like an age since we last spoke, how are you?" enquired Teyla.

"Not bad." he offered before realising lying would be futile with Teyla "Anxious. Amelia is back soon and we haven't spoken in a few weeks"

"And why is that?"

"Work. Me and Sheppard have been off-world for most of time since coming here. It doesn't leave a lot of time for much else..."

"I am sure she will understand Ronon, after all, it was a similar situation whilst on Atlantis"

"Maybe" he offered, clearly considering her words "So what about you?"

"Adapting to life on Earth was difficult. But that would appear to be something I need no longer be concerned about" she replied honestly.

"Sure. But what about _you_?"

"I...am fine" she proclaimed before realising it would be no good lying to him either. "Troubled. Kanaan and I are experiencing difficulties"

"Yeah?"

"Yes. We appear to have a difference of opinion concerning our future" said Teyla, who felt strangely comfortable confiding in her often uncommunicative friend.

"You should talk to Sheppard" Ronon said, drawing a look of surprise from Teyla "He's not been the same without you there either." A small smirk crossed his face, though internally he wondered if he had revealed too much.

Teyla was stunned by the revelation. She had known that she had become an important member of John's team, but that he was so adversely affected by her absence was something she had not expected from her usually cool-headed and pragmatic friend.

"I...must return to my quarters. I shall see you at the briefing" she said, excusing herself from the awkwardness of the moment. She turned and headed back to her room, glancing back to see Ronon trudging off in the opposite direction. She sighed regretfully at the uncomfortable nature of her reunion with the Satedan, reminding herself to fix the matter as soon as possible.

- - SGA - -

"Doctor McKay, are we ready?" asked Mr Woolsey impatiently, the hour-long deadline he had imposed having already expired two hours ago

"The new ZPM is installed, all systems are online." replied Rodney, his voice as tired as he looked.

"Excellent" said Woolsey as he turned to the rest of the senior staff, who were seated around the conference table. "Colonel Sheppard, how are things coming along?"

"All personnel are now aboard Atlantis. The Daedalus will be arriving within the hour carrying the remaining supplies we requested. I think we're good to go." Sheppard replied, feeling somewhat gratified to be able to say those words.

"Very good." Mr Woolsey started before the conference room door opened to reveal a familiar face.

"Sorry I'm late, restocking the infirmary took longer than expected" said Doctor Keller, her beaming smile seemingly infectious, judging by the reciprocal grins on the faces of her friends and colleagues.

Rodney looked on with a wry smile as she took her seat next to him, placing a reassuring hand on his arm as she did so. Since she had been reassigned to a military hospital, he had not seen nor spoken to her, his mission on Atlantis carrying so much importance as to make it a dark project; meaning no outside contact, even for the lead researcher.

The meeting lasted only a few more minutes before the senior staff were dismissed to resume their preparations. With the room emptying, Sheppard stood to leave too, only to be stopped in his tracks.

"Colonel, a word if you please?" said Mr Woolsey warmly.

"Yes sir. What can I do for you?"

"I believe we have a rather sensitive matter to discuss, do we not?"

Sheppard considered what Woolsey was eluding to for a few seconds before the penny finally dropped. How could he have forgotten about _him?_

"Todd?" he asked knowingly.

"Todd." replied Woolsey.


	6. Chapter 6: Decisions

**A/N: **Apologies in advance for anyone wanting more depth to Todd's return to Atlantis.

I toyed with the idea but decided to keep it brief as I've got an "episode" dedicated to Todd later on in my planned series and didn't want to detract from that.

**Chapter Six: Decisions**

The short journey between Earth and the Moon had become all too familiar to Colonel Caldwell and the crew of the Daedalus in recent weeks but they all understood the importance of ensuring Atlantis was ready to return to the Pegasus galaxy. And after ferrying all manner of supplies as well as personnel to the stationary city-ship, a simple prison transfer would be a rather straightforward final run. As Atlantis came into sight, so did the end of their transport missions.

"Open a channel to Atlantis" ordered Caldwell.

"Channel open sir" came the reply from the Lieutenant Stuart

"Atlantis, this is the Daedalus. As requested, we have the prisoner ready for transport."

"Daedalus, this is Atlantis. Preparations are complete. We are ready when you are" replied Mr Woolsey, his voice carrying a note of trepidation.

"Confirmed, Daedalus out" said Caldwell as he nodded to his transport officer. The Asgard beam was enabled and the Daedalus' role was complete. _For __n__ow anyway_thought Caldwell. His ship was still on its shakedown cruise following the damage it suffered in the battle with the ZPM-powered Hive vessel but maybe now they could extend their missions beyond the confines of the solar system.

- - SGA - -

Sheppard and his team stood ready to receive their prisoner, Ronon clutching particularly tightly to his pistol. Though he trusted Sheppard implicitly, he often wondered why this wraith called "Todd" was still breathing. If he had been in charge, he would have shot him when they first came across him. But Sheppard stopped him and he had to respect that, even if he still felt the urge to just pull the trigger now and get it over with.

In an instant, the Wraith stood before them, his hands bound and escorted by a couple of marines who even Ronon would have found intimidating. A chill reverberated around the gate room as people stopped and stared at the prisoner, his very appearance enough to elicit concern. Sheppard stepped forward from the crowd, his rifle still trained on the wraith. Could he still be trusted? After all, he had provided almost no information to the folks at Area 51, though this didn't surprise Sheppard as everyone hates those guys.

"Dismissed. We'll take it from here" Sheppard told the marines, who nodded in acknowledgement before signalling to be beamed back to the Daedalus.

As Sheppard gestured for Todd to walk ahead of them, the rest of the team closed ranks behind their team leader, watchful for the first sign of trouble from this wretched being. All of them, to varying degrees, possessed mixed feelings about this wraith but all of them trusted in Sheppard's judgement. If he thought that Todd could be a valuable asset back in Pegasus, then they would go along with that. Though the instant he looked to betray them would be his end.

After an awkwardly silent ten minutes, the team reached the brig and placed Todd within the cell. He snarled at the four of them as they turned and left, clearly unhappy that his efforts to save Earth had been rewarded with confinement. Twice. But what had he expected from humans? They were afraid him and rightly so, they were only "cattle" after all. Except Sheppard, he seemed...different.

- - SGA - -

Rodney had been suffering from a headache all day, putting it down the efforts of getting Atlantis ready for its trip back to Pegasus. But it was growing more difficult to focus as the pain intensified.

"Rodney, you don't look so good" said Sheppard concerned.

"I'm fine, its just a headache" replied McKay dismissively.

"Well then, it shouldn't be too much trouble to get it checked out. That's an order." said Sheppard with a slight smile on his face. He had noticed how McKay had been finding any excuse to avoid visiting the infirmary and it didn't take genius to figure out why. So Sheppard figured that maybe he needed to be pushed into the deep end in order to learn how to swim. Metaphorically of course.

Rodney opened his mouth to protest but he knew how useless that would be, given how stubborn Sheppard was. So with great reluctance, he trudged off down the corridor and towards the infirmary, hoping that Doctor Keller wouldn't be on duty. He didn't want to avoid her particularly, he just didn't know what he was supposed to say. He might be a genius physicist but his inter-personal skills needed work.

There was no such luck for Rodney as he entered the medical centre to find Doctor Keller finishing up with what appeared to be her final patient. She looked up at Rodney, her face devoid of any real emotion. He approached her carefully, his mind racing through all manner of scenarios and most of them not ending pleasantly for him.

"Whats up Rod...Doctor McKay?" asked Keller

"Not much, just a headache. But Sheppard ordered me down here" replied Rodney as Keller began checking his head, her fingers gently caressing his temples.

"It appears to be just a tension headache, we have some painkillers that should help" said Keller as she jotted down some notes into his patient file.

"Look Jen, I'm sorry" said Rodney, chancing his luck.

"For what?"

"I should have called."

"You couldn't Rodney. I understand that. Its just...it was tough being alone after being so close to someone"

"I know, but I'm still sorry." he offered to which she laughed. "Are we going to be okay?" he asked genuinely.

"Lets see how things go. We've got a lot of important things to focus on first" she said and he nodded in acceptance.

Awkwardness filled the infirmary as Rodney sat in silence, waiting for Doctor Keller to find the right medication for him. After searching through the cabinet, she found the painkillers and passed them to Rodney, who offered a timid "thanks" before racing out of the door, clearly unhappy and uncomfortable with what just happened. Did he say something wrong? Was he too apologetic? McKay's mind began to wander as he made his way towards the chair room having received a message from Zelenka. At least he thought it was Zelenka, he wasn't really paying close attention.

- - SGA - -

After ordering McKay to the infirmary, Sheppard dismissed Ronon and Teyla, preferring to attend the meeting with Woolsey alone. He knew he owed the man an explanation about why he had brought Todd on-board. Plus he needed final confirmation that everything was a go. He climbed the steps to Woolsey office and after knocking politely, entered to find him filling out yet more paperwork. Bureaucracy was hard work, Sheppard thought inwardly.

"Colonel Sheppard, please have a seat" offered Woolsey.

"Thanks. Look before we start, I think I need to clear something up" said Sheppard with authority.

"Oh?" asked Woolsey

"About Todd. I'm grateful that you convinced the IOA to allow me to bring him on board. I know I didn't really offer a convincing reason why I did so." said Sheppard as Woolsey nodded for him to continue "Well sir, Todd and I have an unofficial agreement in that neither of us wants to be in debt to the other. And when Todd helped save Earth, I was in debt to him once again"

"So this is your way of repaying the debt?" asked Woolsey.

"Kinda. I honestly believe we will find a use for him once we get back to Pegasus. Until then, I'm okay with him being locked up here. Plus we'll get more out of him than the guys at Area 51"

"I believe you are right Colonel, which is why I authorised his transfer here. "said Woolsey warmly.

Sheppard was pleased at the trust Woolsey had show in his judgement, not to mention how their working relationship had become a rather effective one. With the potentially difficult topic out of the way, Sheppard turn his attention to the more pressing concern.

"All stations report ready. With your permission, I'd like to get down to the chair and get this party started" said Sheppard warmly.

"Actually Colonel, I've instructed Doctor Beckett to pilot Atlantis" explained Woolsey.

Sheppard looked dismayed at the news. He was not only the ranking officer but also the strongest ATA gene carrier, why was he not being able to fly the ship again? Carson had done a sterling job getting Atlantis to Earth, but put bluntly, he wasn't as proficient at using the chair as Sheppard was. No one was in fact.

"May I ask why?" Sheppard said, straining to maintain his composure.

"Well for one, Doctor Beckett has more recent experience of the piloting procedure" offered Woolsey "And as the ranking military officer on board Atlantis, I think your schedule is looking a little busy already without adding to it. I'm sorry Colonel, but I need you around to help me keep this place in working order".

"Aye sir" replied Sheppard. He did understand Woolsey's reasoning even if the pilot within him was more than a little disappointed. He had hoped to connect with Atlantis again but his primary duty was the success of the mission, not his personal gratification.

"Well then Colonel, shall we get this mission under way?" asked Woolsey.

"With pleasure."


	7. Chapter 7: Departure

**A/N: ** So its the final chapter of my first "episode". Hope you guys like it.

Thanks to all who have read and reviewed my work, I appreciate it immensely.

**C****hapter Seven: Departure**

Take off had proceeded smoothly and Atlantis was now several hours into its journey back to Pegasus. The atmosphere had lifted noticeably since their departure from the solar system, no doubt as a result of the reduced stress now that everything was up and running. And even more unusually, was on schedule. Whilst Sheppard and Woolsey were locked in various meetings with the different department heads, the rest of the expedition continued about the business of ensuring Atlantis was ready to resume its role as soon as it reached Pegasus.

Sheppard had left Major Lorne and Ronon in charge of the security drills to bring both civilian and military personnel up to his demanding standards regarding the safeguarding of Atlantis. McKay and Zelenka were busy monitoring Carson's condition in the chair to ensure nothing went wrong. Teyla felt somewhat useless, not needing to brush up on security procedures nor much help monitoring Doctor Beckett. And with Kanaan still barely speaking to her, the options appeared limited. She decided to take Torren to the mess hall in the hopes of bumping into a familiar face.

Sure enough, she entered the mess to find Doctor Keller sitting by herself, engrossed in something on her tablet. After grabbing a cup of coffee, Teyla made her way cautiously towards the doctor, unsure of whether she was open to company. After a few seconds standing unnoticed at the table's edge, she finally spoke.

"Is this seat taken Doctor Keller?" she enquired politely, waking Keller from the semi-trance she appeared to be in whilst reading.

"No...no not at all. Please, sit" she offered genuinely as Teyla slipped effortlessly into the vacant chair opposite her.

And just like that, Atlantis began to feel like home once more for both of them. A warm comfort encompassed them both as they caught up with the events of the past few months, detailing the highs and lows they had both endured. As they spoke, Torren had apparently grown bored of the conversation and drifted off into a peaceful slumber, adrift in a world of his own. Teyla inwardly marvelled at her son's ability to find peace in any situation.

"Anyway, how are you finding being back on Atlantis? Is Kanaan looking forward to returning home?" asked Keller innocently.

"It feels like seeing an old friend after many years apart, it is a most welcome feeling. As for Kanaan, he and I are not really talking at the moment."

"And why not?"

"It is...complicated. How about yourself and Doctor McKay?" asked Teyla, expertly changing the subject.

"Well...I guess that's complicated too" Keller laughed sadly.

"Perhaps we should direct the conversation in another direction then?" said Teyla with just a hint of a smile on her face.

"A great idea" said Keller, the relief prevalent in her voice.

- - SGA - -

Kanaan wandered the corridors of the Ancestor's city, mulling over everything that had happened over the past few days. He and Teyla had practically ignored each other and he inwardly chastises himself for his part in the conflict between them. He had never wanted them to pull away from each other over such an issue but neither would he lie about what he truly desired from this relationship. And thus he was in a dilemma that had occupied his mind for days; should he relent and accept the relationship as it is or should he continue to push for the Ritual of Joining to be undertaken?

He continued on his direction-less journey, cordially greeting the various people whom he passed along the way. Though he knew very few of them personally, he nevertheless felt a degree of civility and comfort in their presence. Or perhaps it was his presence within Atlantis that gave him such feelings of warmth. His musing were interrupted when he discovered he had been walking for so long than he had lost track of his position. Looking around for familiar landmarks, he caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye.

Calling out in the hope that someone would answer and be able to guide him back to familiar ground, he was disappointed when his calls were met with only silence. Moving cautiously towards where he thought the movement had come from, he found the area deserted, populated only by storage containers. That's when he saw it, attached to the wall beside him, though he dared not believe his eyes. A bomb?

- - SGA - -

After what seemed like an eternity in Woolsey's office meeting with the various department heads on board Atlantis, Colonel Sheppard was looking forward to spending a relaxing night back in his quarters. But as always, fate intervened to prevent him from having any time to himself. Major Andrews emerged from the operations room wearing a look of veiled confusion, as if he'd just been asked the meaning of life by a bulldog.

"Something on your mind Major?" asked Sheppard, drawing the attention of Andrews.

"Well, I'm not sure sir. We've detected a strange energy reading coming from one of the storage areas. I was just about to hit the sack when I got the message..." replied Andrews.

Sheppard got the hint in Andrews voice. He had to admit, he was a little more than curious as to why a weird energy reading was coming from a seemingly unimportant area of the city.

"Don't worry Major, I'll handle it. You head off for some shut-eye. The way you look, you need all the beauty sleep you can get" said Sheppard jokingly.

Andrews nodded in thanks and raced off before Sheppard had a chance to reconsider. Sheppard felt the need for an extra body to assist in the investigation. And he knew just the guy.

"Rodney, this is Sheppard. We've detected an unusual energy reading in one of the storage areas, I'm heading down to check it out. I could use the company"

"Can't it wait, I'm kind of busy here?" replied Rodney frustratedly

"Negative. Meet me near the jumper bay and we'll head out from there."

"Alright alright, I'll be there in ten" said Rodney, once again not contesting Sheppard's orders.

The two men arrived at the jumper bay almost simultaneously and made their way towards the storage area in question. Having been locked in a meeting for the past few hours, Sheppard requested a status update from his eminent colleague and was relieved by Rodney's assertion that they should reach Pegasus a full day or so ahead of the countdown. Finally something was going their way.

"I'm detecting the energy signal dead ahead" said Rodney after checking his datapad.

"Okay, you stay here and I'll go have a look see" replied Sheppard, careful to keep Rodney out of danger if possible. Something which Rodney readily appreciated.

Sheppard approached cautiously, not knowing exactly what he would find up ahead of him. The sound of a storage container hitting the floor focused Sheppard attention as he neared the signal, his P-90 now raised and ready to fire.

The room appeared empty upon first glance, save for the multitude of containers and boxes that were supposed to be there. It was only on closer inspection that he finally saw him, crouching behind the cover of the storage containers.

"Kanaan?" he asked, puzzled as to what he was doing there.

"Sheppard, you must go!" replied Kanaan frantically as his eyes glanced towards the far wall and the source of his panic.

Sheppard eyes had barely followed to where Kanaan was looking when the timer on the device hit zero and the split-second calm was shattered by the terrifying sounds and sights of an explosion tearing through the storage bay.

Rodney watched in horror as a wall of flames emerged up ahead of him, smoke following quickly behind as the corridor because hazy and noxious. Fear and panic took hold of him and he had to fight his natural instinct to run, instead focusing on the explosion that had engulfed his friend.

"Sheppard?" he called weakly over the comm. "SHEPPARD!" this time shouting as loudly as he could.

But the only response he received was static...

The End...

...Of Part One


End file.
